Kobe eclipses 30,000 in Lakers’ win

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The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (left) is greeted by Chris Duhon at the end of the first half Wednesday against the Hornets in New Orleans. Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 points. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

By The ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ORLEANS – Kobe Bryant scored 29 points, making him the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a two-game skid with a 103-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.

Bryant entered the game needing only 13 points to eclipse the scoring milestone and did so with a short jumper late in the first half that was perhaps the least spectacular of his baskets, which included the usual array of soaring dunks, demoralizing transition 3-pointers and turnaround, off-balance jumpers.

Knicks 100, Bobcats 98: At Charlotte, N.C., with Carmelo Anthony nursing a lacerated finger, New York turned to J.R. Smith for the last shot, and he delivered. Smith hit a fallaway jumper from the left wing as time expired to give the Knicks a victory over Charlotte.